


Myriad Heartbeats

by Dodi3



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Cafe AU, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Kagami Tsurugi - Freeform, Kagami's Confident (?), Luka Couffaine - Freeform, Luka's Chill, Marinette Dupain-Cheng - Freeform, Marinette's just that friend, Subtle Anxiety, cafe setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:54:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28726182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dodi3/pseuds/Dodi3
Summary: 'She's probably more scared of you than you are of her...'He found the thought to be a slight comfort.When she swapped her attention from her phone to him, however, Luka realized he was wrong.Those were not the eyes of someone shy.
Relationships: Luka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	Myriad Heartbeats

**Author's Note:**

> A written prize for my friend Choco over on the Miraculous Amino! 
> 
> Excuse me for any mistakes/tRaSh, I wrote this during a writer's block and those never end up well 🥰

Someone Luka didn't recognize walked into the café. 

Of course, the place was open to everyone, but newcomers were surpisingly rare. Uncommon to the point where Luka could name every person settled in the chairs. Couples smiling over coffee, seniors reminiscing about their youth. Children laughing over cocoa mustaches and playing with straws.

The first thing he noticed was the disquite. She didn't look like she was in her element—quite the opposite, really. She stood in the doorway for so long that that he wondered if he should guide her to a seat. 

The girl moved before Luka could do anything.

Swerving through the chairs at an easy pace, the girl found an empty table at the corner of the place, away from other customers. 

...Interesting. Maybe she was shy? 

"Is this a new habit of yours? Just...staring? Didn't know you were that kind of guy, Luka."

He turned back with a grin at the voice, meeting the narrow-eyed gaze of Marinette. Her exterior exuded maturity but he was well-acquainted with the faux front she held up—Luka always thought it was some sort of playful defense mechanism.

"But have you seen how stiff she was? It's definitely her first time here."

The ravenette sighed deeply, though it didn't hide the shine in her eyes. Taking a step closer to the counter and leaning to look past Luka, he heard Mari click her tongue, a sign that she had an idea in mind.

"You should go to her."

Luka knew first-hand what a bright and creative intellect his co-worker was, but he wasn't sure if this was exactly...the best idea for him. "Mari..."

A warm laugh erupted from the girl beside him, and his prior anxiety was swiftly replaced by a deadpan.

"Oh, did I say it wrong? Sorry." She looked nothing of the sort, the ravenette simply radiating mirth at his expense. "I meant you should go ask her if she wants to order."

He exhaled a quick breath, disturbing the bangs hanging across his forehead. "So cruel."

"You'll live." Marinette shoved him fondly, towards the girl in the corner. "Now _ask_."

Muttering something about the ravenette's pushiness that even Luka himself couldn't understand, he strolled towards the customer.

By her conduct when she had first walked in, Luka assumed that she was timid. As he got closer he noticed her dark hair, and the striking crimson top she wore, embroidered with flowing gold streaks.

Luka was getting to that distance where it was appropriate to start speaking to the individual. 

Yet, he hesitated. How could he start? Why was it suddenly difficult?

_'She's probably more scared of you than you are of her...'_

He found the thought to be a slight comfort.

When she swapped her attention from her phone to him, however, Luka realized he was wrong. 

Those were not the eyes of someone _shy_.

Stern amber aligned with his cerulean, bold and deep and all the details that he hadn't caught when she had first entered.

"Do you need something?" Her voice didn't waver a decibel.

Realizing she was talking to _him,_ Luka cleared his throat softly and carried the conversation like he hadn't been staring wide-eyed. "Um, nothing much. I just noticed you were sitting here alone, and was wondering if you wanted to order anything on our menu?" Professional. He was smooth.

"This is my first time here, so I'm not really sure what to ask for." 

"Oh, yeah that's fine." The blue-tip allowed himself to relax, even though he wasn't quite certain what caused him not to before. "How about I surprise you?"

"You can do that?" Her phone made a minor thud when it rested against the table.

"Absolutely! I do it for other customers often."

"But you don't know them, correct? How do you get it right?"

It was then that Luka fell victim to a wide grin, the kind that eventually led to impassioned laughter. Her hazel eyes narrowed in skepticism, blank on what to think of his behavior.

For some reason, he wanted to tease. Just a bit.

"Well, I listen to their hearts."

"...That's impossible." She snipped, cornering him with a glare withering enough to make flower petals sag. 

Her exterior screamed at Luka to tread carefully. Or maybe just go away completely.

But there was something about her that struck the blue-tip's interest. He wanted to talk to her, see how she'd react. The girl was definitely bold; something wild in a field of calm. 

"Some think that, yeah," sliding into a seat across from the dark-hair, Luka silently hoped boundaries weren't being invaded by doing so. "But I have my ways." 

He caught a small huff in response, barely loud enough to reach his ears.

A smile eased its way onto his lips. 

"I'll even prove it to you. But, can I have your name first?"

She faced him with full force, surprised to find defiance aflame within her irises. The girl already held herself with intrepid confidence but now Luka could /feel/ it, the tension hot enough to singe the sparse rows of hair on his arms.

"Is this how you hook up with people?" 

It took him a minute to let her words sink in, but when he did Luka felt the blush descend upon him like a sunburn. 

"Oh wow, no. Definitely not. I wasn't asking for that! I work here and I need to write names on customers' orders so we don't get them mixed up..." He trailed off, feigning a light cough in hopes of pacifying the raging heat in his chest.

Luka didn't know if the girl was feeling particularly piteous for him, but was glad she didn't mention anything of it.

"Kagami." 

"What?"

"My name is Kagami." She released her name in a sigh, interlacing her fingers. "Yours?"

He blinked once. "...Luka."

"Not bad." 

Raising an eyebrow at this, the last thing he expected was such a witty remark.

He welcomed it, having been surprised by her many times already. Kagami struck him different, her personality unlike anyone's he'd met before. 

And it'd be a lie if he said he didn't want to learn more.

"Not bad? I'll have you know my name's pretty extravagant." He leaned forward an inch, the grin on his face warm and unstrained.

Kagami rolled her eyes, but this time it looked like he'd broken the ice just a bit, the dark-hair letting herself smile for the first time since she entered.

"Alright," Luka backed up in his seat, bringing himself to a stand. "I'll brew up something behind the counter, and then you'll admit that I got it right?"

"I'm not sure you even 'listened to my heart', as you call it."

The guitarist took a step back. "I did, actually. It's hard to miss one as bold as yours."

And then the boy strode away at a pace quicker than normal, deep breaths circulating through his lungs in a way that he was relieved didn't make his heart race like she did.

If anyone was within proximity they would've heard the curses he muttered under his breath, scolding himself for letting the joke slip. 

What he failed to notice was that the receiver of his pleasantry experienced a flustered state of her own, struggling to hide it behind a scowl. 

Her first time here and the organ in her chest seemed to be reaching speeds akin to that of a marathon runner, wild and completely against what she wanted. 

Leaving would be okay, right? It's not like he'd asked her to stay. Kagami wouldn't see him again after this. She could easily make sure of it.

But something in her argued that it was a petty excuse...and after glancing over, seeing him work at the counter...

"Maybe just a few minutes," came her compromise.

A few wouldn't hurt. Kagami would just acknowledge Luka when he returned, thank him, and then she'd go.

Her heart knew that plan was soon to tear at the seams, however, for time was boundless when two beat as one. 


End file.
